Trust and Acceptance
by andthestorm
Summary: Cece and Schmidt pick up where they left off after the White Fang incident. Set up briefly after 1x24.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

"You looked through her phone?" Jess almost yelled in shock "Schmidt, you do not do that to Cece."

Schmidt looked defensively at her big blue eyes. "I – it was right there." He sighed, almost dramatically. "I had a momentary lapse of panic."

Jess sighed as well, and half-smiled at Schmidt almost apologetically. Schmidt's face was traced with regret as he put his head down, his right hand forming into a fist and he leaned his head on it. Nick and Winston sat on the other end of the couch uncomfortably, wanting anything but to try to participate in this conversation they were shoved into.

After contemplating a moment, Jess spoke up quietly to Schmidt. "Did you White Fang her?"

Schmidt nodded. "Yes, I White Fanged her."

With that, Nick and Winston looked up from the football game to Schmidt with an open-mouthed grimace.

"What the hell is _that_, man?" Nick threw his arms up, "Nevermind. I don't want to know."

"What can I do, Jess? A beauty like Cece? I have no chance." Schmidt looked up, ignoring Nick.

"You can call her," Jess spoke authoritatively, "and tell her you had a 'momentary lapse of panic.'"

Schmidt looked slightly concerned. Jess furthered, "She'll resist at first, but just keep pushing. If she does in fact like you, she'll give in.

"Just know this; Cece has this weird thing with trust. She's been," Jess hesitated, "let down a lot, okay?"

Schmidt solemnly nodded and got up to head to his bedroom.

* * *

The first time he tried he left a very quick and concise voicemail. _Quick to the point_, he thought, _she'd listen_.

Schmidt stared at the chair across the room where, to his completely satisfaction and pride, they had done it three times one February night. He grinned, thinking back_ –_ then suddenly dropped into a frown at the thought that there was a possibility there would be no more of that.

He began typing in frenzy, sending multiple texts to her. He rapidly stood up and dialed Cece, proceeding to leave four more voicemails – each becoming more and more detailed and frantic – as he paced about the front of his bed.

Somewhat satisfied at this, he sat back down and nodded. "Yeah, that'll do it." He gave a half-hearted smile at the chair, and lied down to stare at the ceiling.

* * *

Cece lingered out of her bathroom wearing a yellow sports bra and a pair of tiny striped shorts all topped off with her damp hair up in a bun. She noticed her phone lit-up on the kitchen counter. She smiled thinking it was Jess.

'_Cecilia, it's Schmidt. The whole White Fang thing? Can we talk about it?'_

'_Cece, I'm sorry.' _

'_I take it back. Please, Cece. Just talk to me.'_

'_I take it back, Cece, I take it back! I meant it when I said I care about you.'_

She blankly stared at the tiny screen as another text popped up.

'_Cece, please. Please.'_

Cece threw the phone onto the counter, dawdling over to the couch to distract herself. Grabbing her favorite blanket, she wrapped it around her and sat down. She turned on the TV to see America's Next Top Model on and she internally frowned at the memory of not making it onto the show, and Jess trying to console her at her favorite restaurant with fat-free chocolate ice-cream cake.

A light appeared on the counter and Cece knew it was her phone again. But she decided to ignore it, and turned her attention back to the show. A couple minutes later, another light appeared and she barely even gave it a glance. During the commercial break, Cece got up to the fridge and took out some ice-cream.

She placed it on the counter, thinking what it was that possessed her to grab it as she rarely allowed herself the dessert. As she scooped out enough for a huge bowl, her phone lit up once again. She took the bowl and shoveled the ice-cream into her mouth as she flicked the phone off, which lit up one more time, with her petite middle finger.

* * *

Schmidt found Jess in her popular heart pajamas reading a book while lying on her bed. He knocked softly and she welcomed him in with a gentle 'it's open.'

"Watcha doin', mister? It's eleven o'clock and you know I have school in the morning." Jess put her book down and patted the end of her bed for Schmidt.

Schmidt furrowed his eyebrows before beginning. "What you said about Cece earlier… What did you mean by that? You know, her being let down a lot?"

Jess scrunched her lips together, wondering if she should delve into this conversation with him. She didn't want to betray Cece.

"What? Cheating boyfriends?" Schmidt gave his legendary smile. "'Cause you know I'd never do that."

Jess moved her legs to sit 'criss-cross applesauce' and gave him a sincere look. "I know Schmidt."

"Is it…" Schmidt hesitated, clearing his throat and taking a more solemn tone. "Is it about her father passing away when she was young? I mean, I know that can be –"

"She told you about that?" Jess interjected. She smiled genuinely at him as Schmidt gave a puzzled look. "She doesn't let a lot of people in. Only me and her family know about that."

Schmidt mouthed 'oh' but no sound came. After a moment of thinking and silence, he stood up and walked out of the room.

Jess confusedly called out to him but she was returned with nothing but the thud of the front door closing.


	2. Chapter 2

Cece was covered in her blanket, tugging it to her chin when she heard the knock._ Fuck. _She averted her eyes from the TV to glare at the door. She didn't startle when she heard another urgent, louder knock. "Shit…" was the only word she could muster as she just blankly stared at the door.

"Cece, it's Schmidt. Let me in."

She couldn't will her muscles to move and so she just sat, pulling the blanket closer to her. _Don't get up. _Suddenly, she felt a tear fall down her cheek. She mumbled another silent "fuck" as she used the blanket to wipe it away aggressively.

"Please, just let me in." Schmidt called out from the hallway.

Cece sniffed and felt the anger build in her chest. She replied a little softer than she wanted to – "I tried, Schmidt, to let you in. And you know what? You let _me_ down."

Schmidt, in the hallway, turned back to the door and leaned his head on it. "I realize that now Cece."

Cece just shook her head and decided to look anywhere but the door. She rested her eyes on the nearest magazine on the table. She didn't want to feel anything right now, especially not the mess that was assembling in her chest. But the silence didn't seem to be helping like she hoped – every emotion was just swirling in the air.

Listening carefully, she thought Schmidt had gone so she released the tension in her throat and eyes. She let go of a loud sob and covered herself with the blanket. How could she have let him get to her this way? She was ashamed of herself for even beginning to care. _God,_ _I'm so fucking stupid._

Cece let the sobs naturally subside and when they did, she pulled the blanket off her (_fuck me for getting so hot when I'm emotional_)and shut the TV off. Her eyes felt droopy but she didn't want to move.

She decided to stay right where she was.

Forever.

She jumped when she heard the tender "Cece?" from the other side of the door.

Wiping her face off, she gathered up her remaining courage to walk to the front door and open it. Schmidt fell backwards to her feet, as he had been sitting against the door.

He looked up at her, upside-down, and cleared his throat. Quickly, he stood up to find her staring him down with the _bitchiest_ face he had ever seen on _any_ woman. He couldn't help but grin a little.

His smile tugged down though as he looked into her eyes. They were unusually lackluster and sunken. "Cecilia…" He tried to begin.

"No, Schmidt." Cece frowned back at him, trying to muffle her swollen anger. "I don't want to hear your excuses."

He was silent; sympathetic almost. He stayed quiet until she decided to go on.

"You can't come back after I let you in." Cece emphasized the last three words slowly. She unfolded her arms and threw them in the air, "I'm so fucking stupid. I let _you_ of all people in. I trusted _you_ and I don't hand out trust like that."

Schmidt nodded knowingly and lowered his eyes. "I am truly sorry, Cece."

"That's almost convincing." Cece's words were laced with sarcasm.

He looked back up into her eyes this time. She could clearly tell his eyes were just as wet and sincere as her own. Schmidt let every word linger and register in the air. "I am so sorry."

Cece allowed her eyes to swell with tears. She pressed her lips into a hard line, though, as she didn't want to let herself cry.

"I apologize. For everything, for ruining whatever the hell it is we have – or had – have…" Schmidt shook his head. "I should have trusted you, Cece, I'm sorry. It's just… I get that it's your job but…"

"Seriously, Schmidt? Are you bringing that up again?" Cece shook her head. "That is my job and if I can't trust you to trust me then this will not work out."

"I want it to work out, though, Cece!" Even Schmidt was shocked at the roar in the back of his voice. "I – I like you _a lot_. I care about you. I wanted you to be happy and that's why I White Fanged you."

"Really? 'Cause I was doing fine until you pulled that stunt." _Maybe I was happy_, she thought to herself. _With you._

"I'll never be able to make a girl like you happy."

Cece found herself smirking and she didn't know why. Satisfaction or uneasiness – she couldn't tell.

Schmidt eyed her with an incredulous look. "What the hell are you smiling at?"

She let out a light scoff. "You? Insecure?"

"Haha, Cece, yes, let's all poke fun at the insecure."

There was an unusually easy silence that followed and Schmidt and Cece were left to stare at each other's bodies huffing with anger and eyes glowing with unsaid words.

The stance Cece held was a closed-off one: her arms were firmly crossed across her chest and her toes were awkwardly scrunched up every time Schmidt moved his eyes or made a noise. Cece knew that she was just as screwed up and insecure as he was. She knew that. But she didn't know how to let go of that and how to stop being so defensive and how to stop being shut-off and how to stop self-destructing. She didn't know how to take a chance. Looking into Schmidt's eyes she realized she longed to get lost in them. She was craving to just jump onto him and smother him with a desperate kiss. Every tiny thread that has held her together – she wanted to tangle them and rip them apart and run into Schmidt's arms. She wanted him.

"I want you." Schmidt interrupted her from her thoughts.

She unfolded her arms and let them suspend by her sides. With her tearful smile and nod, he understood.

Taking a slow step forward, and another, Schmidt stood in front of Cece's body, yearning to touch her. He brushed his hands on her damp cheek and felt her shudder. He cupped it and inched towards her face; feeling the heat radiate off it he very gently grazed her plump lips. When he pressed his lips to hers he heard her breathing hitch in response. She'd never been kissed like this before.

This was different than any other kiss they've had. The other kisses were aggressive and had only one purpose. This one was calm yet just as passionate. They explored each other's face delicately. They tentatively tangled their fingers in each other's hair. They took their time.

She instinctually started tugging at the collar of his shirt, fingering with the top button. Before she was even able to undo it, her wrist was grasped and she looked up to an apprehensive Schmidt.

"As much as I love this and love your body," Schmidt stated, "I think we shouldn't. For tonight."

Cece obliged, to her surprise, and sat on the couch, covering her legs with the blanket and weakly smiling at Schmidt. He cautiously sat down beside her and she offered him some of her large blanket. He grinned and scooted close to her body, laying his head on her shoulder after lightly kissing it. Cece rolled her eyes but laid her head on his as she sighed.

Cece didn't know how long they had been sitting there, intertwined, but she acknowledged that it must've been at least two a.m. before Schmidt started snoring.


End file.
